The seasons, AND HARMONY IN the JAPANESE TABLEThe alpha and omega of Japanese cuisine - dishes according to the season. Sometimes it is not less important than their cooking. The concept of seasonality in the Japanese culinary…

Georgian wedding traditionsThe real Georgian wedding is a beautiful, entertaining and rich holiday with observance of all original customs of Georgian people. The first rule of Georgian wedding is abundance of invited…

You came to Japan, you will need housing. It turns out that there are three types of accommodation: apato, mansion and Iodate. Apato – room. Iodate is a separate house, the most expensive option.

Apato (from apartments) take single, have no family. Two will be a bit crowded there already. Actually, apato – “cardboard” domes, his task that he in the earthquake, lounging, no one was crushed. The walls are so thin that you can hear the neighbors talking in a normal voice even. What do you want on the plywood walls? Apato often represent a two-storey house where the Manager lives and several families. It depends on the number of rooms. This is the most common accommodations in Japan. About 60% of Japanese live in apata. Just do not think that each of these families in 60% owns their home. Alas. Usually this will be the bathroom.

It’s funny that the size of housing in Japan is measured in Jo (tatami). But. because with the fact that the birth rate is declining, to reduce the tatami area. Tatami 4 and 10 years ago is more than 5 tatami now.

Mansion – apartment in multi-family concrete house. Such housing is expensive, and the soundproofing is already a no, but there is. However extraordinary, but the Central heating is in Japan only in Hokkaido. So in winter the apartment will be not very hot. Electricity is expensive, and in winter the heating will take about $100 if to use heaters. Kotatsu saves. -) Alas another – the Windows are not insulated and windswept. Sounds through the Windows too are any. Not used it much delivers. The area of apartments in Japan, however, fewer of those to which we are accustomed, so that the room or two per family is quite a normal count.

Let’s look in the book with suggestions. Yeah, types A. B, C. 3-4 bedrooms for 100 000 yen per month. This is luxury housing. There 2 bathroom European, traditional, kitchen-dining room and balcony. Only be not under a delusion – $1000 is not all cost, there’s still the taxes will add additional fees and Charges etc. will increase in 2 times in comparison with the specified in the booklet. And still mortgage payment is going to be in trouble. -)

* * *

Rent an apartment in Japan is difficult and unusual for us. For a start you need a permit to live and 3 months in Japan. Then you will need a guarantor is a firm or a friend who’ll vouch for you. And only then you can go to the Agency. Alas, many of the Agency with hydroname (foreigners) to work will not have to run and look.

Finally, you will receive announcements of delivery of apartments. These are the questionnaires with the plan of the apartment and any useful information and payments you will pay for this apartment. This security Deposit, monthly payment, fee for final cleaning before moving in, thanks to the owner of the universe (reikin), insurance, advance payment for 2 months, the payment to staff for services at home. Well, freaking me out? $2000-3000 just for the universe – that’s fine.

You will enter in the quarto removed only one month, hardly used, and it will be completely empty. From furniture only the toilet, unless. So it is accepted.

Water in the house is too expensive. Hot, by the way, would also through the water heater to go, so there will be more electricity or gas to use. Incidentally, a washing machine with heat water in Japan infrequent thing. Many, because laundries are used. One wash, between other things, will cost 600 yen. Oddly enough, but electricity is not the most expensive part of the cost. Gas is the most expensive, then the water, and then electricity.